San Diego Comic-Con celebrated all things pop culture at the end of July in San Diego, California. From comic books to movies, animation to cosplay, there was something for everyone to be excited about. During the event, iconic voice actor Jim Cummings shared the stage with animator Andreas Deja, focusing on animated villains.
Temple of Geek spoke with Jim Cummings about the art of voice acting, his wide range of characters, and how he brings each of them to life.
Jim Cummings Voices Characters Across the Moral Spectrum
Jim Cummings has been in the entertainment industry for over forty years. His resume boasts over 1500 characters, including Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, the singing voice of Scar, Darkwing Duck, and Hondo Ohnaka. The range of these characters is vast, and not just because of their vocal range. There are distinct moral compasses that each individual follows, which vary greatly. Cummings explains how he finds the voice for each one while maintaining their personalities.
Winnie the Pooh and Tigger… they were established. So, the trick is, you have to be true to what everybody’s known and loved all those years. And the original characters, like Hondo Onaka or Darkwing Duck, my approach is: I look at them first, you know, because that informs you. Like Darkwing’s not super big, he’s not super small. So, he’s kind of right in the middle. And you inform it with the personality, and you have to think of it in terms of just completely different people. And they’ve all got an attitude, and they’ve all got an agenda, and you got to get that in the voice. You got to get that in the acting, and then it gives the animator something to animate.
Beyond the iconic lines, there are elements of voice acting that make villains truly memorable. If the villain doesn’t sound powerful, then they aren’t truly believable as characters. He goes on to say:
I’ve always said that the villain has to be really strong. He has to be really powerful, and he has to be really bad. Because, well, put it this way, Peter Pan wouldn’t have looked anywhere near as cool if Captain Hook was kind of halfway… he had to be evil, and that’s how it works. You know, the bad guy has to be a bad guy for the good guy to look as good, right?
Support His Podcast!
Jim Cummings has a podcast! “Toon’d In! with Jim Cummings” provides insight into voice acting and pop culture. Special guests join each episode to discuss the ins and outs of the entertainment industry. Stream on Apple Podcasts, iHeart, and Patreon.
